WWE Superstars The Big Show, CM Punk and John Cena perform for service members. Photo: WWE

WWE superstars pose with members of the armed forces. (WWE)

Despite appearing to put their lives and bodies at risk on a weekly basis, professional wrestlers do their best give back to the armed forces who they have the highest praise and respect for.

The WWE’s annual “Tribute to the Troops” will air on broadcast television tomorrow night and Mick Foley, who has been in the wrestling business for over two decades, discussed how the stars of the squared circle are able to give back just a little to true heroes who may have been forgotten.

“[Visiting the troops] is such an honor and it leaves everybody with a great feeling. I always joke around and say you never wonder whether or not you are appreciated because that word gets used so often when we are a part of these trips” Foley said. “The soldiers say ‘we really appreciate you being here’ especially and it means a lot for guys who feel like they’ve been forgotten. It’s really nice for them to know that we really appreciate what they do and they seem to like us quite a bit.”

For Foley, who has been part of many legendary WWE matches, visiting with troops and service members is a “humbling” experience and often times helps put things into perspective.

“It is very flattering, it’s a mutual respect that we enjoy and appreciate and I get such a kick out of. It doesn’t seem to make sense when I meet a soldier who loses a limp who tries to tell me I’ve made bigger sacrifices than he has,” Foley said. “I was at a USO event where a young man had received a reward, he had lost a couple of limbs and had been severely burned going into a tank. He mentioned that his family was in and his kids were big fans so I offered to go up and meet them. He was stunned that I would do that, he said ‘you would do that for me?’ and I said, ‘you mean get on an elevator and go up four flights, yes I would.’”

The soldiers that the WWE superstars visit may be geographically far from the arenas the company sells out on a nightly basis, but they are very informed fans who despite being thousands of miles away, keep up with the show’s storylines. The WWE tries to provide the soldiers with a mix of old and new faces to appeal to some of the companies most loyal fans.

“Even if they are not up on current storylines, in many cases they may have been fans five or ten years ago when I was at the height of my fame or they may be current fans who only know me as this mythical figure,” Foley said. “They’re well aware of who all of the current guys are so we give them a mix of people, they appreciate everybody.”

Foley says the soldiers truly do appreciate the WWE coming out to visit them at the military bases, something that many other entertainers do not make an effort to do.

“The guys and women appreciate that we get out there to the forward operating bases that the other entertainers don’t get to. One guy had a great quote ‘These other guys, they only go to country clubs, they go to Anaconda. Only WWE has the blank to come out on the front lines,’” Foley said.

Heading to the operating bases and sometimes even the front lines is not always safe for the Superstars, and Foley called the experience of being in war zones “sobering.”

“It’s dangerous… when you’re putting on a helmet just to land and the plane is spiraling down because it’s harder to shoot a plane out of the sky when it’s spiraling,” Foley said. “In successive trips we were within 100 yards of a shelling, people took cover and had to put on their vests and helmets in the mess hall. We got pretty close to the action.”

Ultimately though, Foley believes that getting to visit the soldiers, even those who have suffered injuries, is a good thing and something more people should try and do.

“It’s good to see first-hand the sacrifices, it brings the action home in a way that reading about it or hearing about it in the news does not I think everyone should have the opportunity,” Foley said.

With Foley back in the WWE, he is surrounded by roster of some of the most popular superstars of this generation. One of the biggest names in the WWE, CM Punk, has a wildly-dedicated fan base and is one of the marquee figures in the business. Punk himself has noted that he is not the “ace” of the company, much like Foley was during his reign.

“There are some [similarities], but I would say that he’s more valuable to the company than I ever was. I always thought of myself as something of a supporting player, albeit a good one. He’s a main event superstar and has really caught fire in a way that not many people have,” Foley said.

Foley says he roots for and is even indebted to fellow Long Island native Zack Ryder, a WWE superstar who has used an internet-based series to become one of the WWE’s most popular personalities.

I do [root for him]. I called in a big favor and Zack helped me out with a fundraiser for a group that I did called Holiday Magic. I’m indebted to Zack for helping me,” Foley said. “I love the idea that it’s happening so fast, it’s like a rocket ride and it’s gaining momentum. Even people who weren’t in on the YouTube phenomenon are seeing this really colorful, really talented character who is absorbing it all and having the time of his life. I’m a Broski, I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

With stars like Punk and Ryder coming into their own, Foley believes now is a time unlike any he has ever seen, including the “Attitude Era” where last generation’s superstars became larger than life.

“I honestly cannot remember the last time so many great young stars were hitting their stride simultaneously. You could say in the late ‘90s there were a bunch of guys hitting their stride but they had been around for a long time, guys like me, Austin, Triple H.” Foley said. “These are younger guys who are really clicking at the same time. I’m talking about Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Wade Barrett, Sheamus, Punk. I think it’s an exciting time to be part of the WWE universe.”

As for his return to the WWE, Foley simply said that he is “thrilled” and that “it feels like I am home.”